Feisty
by momentofbored
Summary: C/B 11 years in the future, married, dealing with jealousy, tragedy, and scheming old-school C/B style. Leading to a happy ending eventually. Romantic/angsty/comic by turns.
1. Chapter 1: Fun Life Lesson

_So, like everyone else, I'm pretty fed up with the direction the writers have decided to take Blair and Chuck in on the show. This fic is an attempt for me to vent my rage… and give them some happiness after a spot of angst._

Chapter 1

Blair Waldorf Bass drowned another shot of vodka before allowing her eyes to flicker upwards toward the man sitting next to her. She felt her brow begin to pucker as she struggled to remember his name and forced herself to stop, hearing her mother's voice in her head lecturing her about the dangers of wrinkles before wondering if she was insane, fighting the sudden and disturbing urge to laugh hysterically. Only an insane person would be worried about something so stupid and unavoidable as wrinkles as her world was falling apart- as she was sitting here _helping _it to fall apart-

"So, Greg," she said, head spinning slightly as she arched one eyebrow in just such a way that she knew it wouldn't matter if she'd gotten his name right or not- knew all that would matter to him was whether she was going to actually deliver on the unspoken invitation she was issuing, "What brings you here- alone?"

But to her surprise he didn't make an effort to draw closer, just cast a pointed look at her left hand and said, arching an eyebrow himself, "I'm not sure I'm the one who should be answering that question."

Blair's brow furrowed slightly as she tried to puzzle out what he meant before glancing down at her hand and seeing the almost too-large ring that glittered even in the shady light of the bar. "Oh, this old thing?" she asked dully before throwing back another shot, not taking time to analyze where the drink had come from as the ring sparkled again, almost as though mocking her. "Cartier, 5 carats," she said dully, matter-of factly, feeling like she had years ago in AP European History when she would list the names of battles by year. "It was designed especially for me." As the silence dragged on she rolled her eyes. "Let me guess," she said indulgently, the slightest hint of sarcasm lacing her voice, "You're the _noble_ type."

He looked at her in something resembling surprise for a moment before throwing his head back and laughing, throwing some bills carelessly onto the bar. "Well, I can't say I've ever been accused of that before. What do you say we go somewhere more private? And- for the record? It's John, not Greg."

She blinked, just once, before shrugging. "At least I got the G right," she said flippantly, head spinning slightly as she slid off the bar stool, barely resisting the urge to pull downward on the bottom of her dress, trying not to think about the fact that she hadn't worn anything quite so short since college- trying _not_ to think about why she was, now.

As though reading her mind, _John_ questioned casually, "So, are you still in school?"

Despite herself Blair laughed again, just a little too hard, and wondered fleetingly if she'd had too much to drink after all. "I don't know," she said after a minute, regaining her composure. "Do I look like I'm still in school?"

He shrugged. "You look like you could be."

"I'm thirty," Blair said abruptly, shocking herself more than him- she'd started lying about her age years earlier, and the vast majority of her newer acquaintances believed her to be 27. "So no. I'm not in school."

"What do you do?" he inquired, opening the door for her, and Blair shivered as she stepped into the cool October air before starting to laugh again.

"I work for Bass Hotels. Maybe you've heard of it."

**x o x o**

"For the last time, Serena, I don't CARE where she is," Chuck Bass snapped, throwing back what had to be his tenth shot of scotch since Blair had glided out of the apartment 2 hours ago. "She made it clear-"

"Oh _she_ made it clear?" Serena demanded incredulously, not bothering to hide the disbelief in her voice. "Well I'm SO GLAD we've got that cleared up," she near shouted, changing tactics, venomous sarcasm clear in her tone. "It's great to know that after 7 _years_ of marriage, if someone should happen to MAKE IT CLEAR, I can just disown them. Thanks for this fun _life lesson_, Chuck. I just _don't_ _know_ what I'd do without you."

There was silence for a long moment, and Chuck poured himself another shot, gulping it before hissing, "I haven't _disowned_ Blair. I just don't care to go running after her right now."

"Oh, and what's your brilliant plan, Chuck? Drink a few more shots of brandy, pass out, maybe find some hookers on the way?"

"Look, Serena," he snapped murderously, "Maybe it's escaped your attention, but Blair and I have been having issues for a while now. This is-" and to his own surprise his breath caught before he managed to finish "probably for the best."

There was another, longer pause before Serena said softly, her voice suddenly much gentler, "No. It hasn't escaped my attention. But a lot of things have escaped yours."

"What is THAT supposed to mean," he near-slurred, and she sighed before replying softly,

"It means you and Blair still have at least one thing in common." There was the barest sliver of a pause before Serena said softly. "When B called me an hour ago she was headed to some club in Brooklyn called Drive."

Despite himself Chuck started to laugh. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to Brooklyn-"

But Serena had already hung up the phone.

**x o x o**

Chuck squinted slightly as his limo slowed down in front of a seedy looking bar. "Not it," he said dismissively, fighting the urge to swig straight from the bottle and wondering, not for the first time, what was wrong with him- he hadn't had this much to drink since college- "Blair wouldn't be caught dead in a place like-"

But the words died on his tongue as his wife, looking all of 18 years old, sauntered out of the pub, swinging her hips in a way he hadn't seen her do in years . He opened the door of the limo, intending to cross the street to her, but at that moment a man emerged behind Blair, looking about 18 himself. She shivered, and Chuck moved to get out of the car again, but at that instant the boy said something and Blair went pale for a fraction of a second before starting to laugh like it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard and giving a brief answer that Chuck couldn't hear. He realized with horror that he couldn't remember the last time he had heard her laugh like she meant it, and as if in slow motion he watched the man stepped forward, cupping Blair's cheek in his hand with so much skill that Chuck doubted his initial assessment of his age.

Jealousy roared inside of him and he stepped out of the car just as Blair tilted her head upward and her lips met the boy's.

**x o x o**

_I think… I'm going to be alternating chapters of the present with chapters of flashbacks, or possibly doing two chapters of the present with one chapter of flashbacks. Expect more tomorrow. I need to vent my Blair/Chuck angst somewhere haha. Please review if you can._


	2. Chapter 2: Single Red Rose

Chapter 2

_2 years prior_

Blair felt awareness creeping up on her as the early morning sunlight streamed through the window and she halfheartedly fought it, burying her head in the plush pillows around her as she reached out for her husband, grasping at the sheets in sleepy confusion when she didn't feel him there.

"Mmmm, Chuck?" she murmured, turning over and yawning as she forced herself to open her eyes.

To her surprise he was nowhere to be seen, but she smiled as she saw a single red rose on the pillow next to her.

**x o x o**

"Oh God, don't humor me, they totally know," Serena moaned into her cell phone as she paced nervously around the Ritz banquet hall, pushing a rose in one floral arrangement back into place as she surveyed the room with a critical eye.

"Serena, they don't know," Nate said, trying to make his voice as soothing as possible through the phone. "I'm telling you, I talked to Chuck last night and he thinks it was all his idea."

"Oh god, nothing is ready and they're going to be here any minute-"

"Serena," Nate cut her off, smiling despite himself, "It's 7 am. No one is going to be there for 5 hours. Take a break. It's all going to be fine."

**x o x o**

"Chuck," Blair said, exhaling in delight as she entered the kitchen, seeing her husband bent over the counter, the smell of badly burned toast and eggs assaulting her nostrils and making her want to laugh as he turned around, looking slightly sheepish.

"I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed," he began, but she cut him off, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the cheek and tenderly setting the rose she was still holding on the kitchen table.

"Thank you," she said softly, reaching forward to caress his face before smiling teasingly, "But you know, this is what we hired cooks for-"

"Ah, yes, but that wouldn't have been much of an anniversary surprise," he replied with a knowing smile, stepping forward and taking her into his arms, inhaling the smell of her hair as he kissed her on the forehead.

Blair smiled into his shoulder, pushing back slightly to look him in the eye as she exclaimed happily, "You remembered," causing him to arch a rueful eyebrow.

"I don't know whether to be insulted by your low opinion of my memory or," he said lowering his voice and whispering into her ear, "tempted by how sexy you look this morning."

Blair felt her head snap backwards in surprise as she took a playful step backward and out of his embrace, trying her best to look scandalized and all too aware that she was failing miserably as he took a step toward her ans she found herself pressed against the marble countertop.

"Chuck," she squealed, feeling like a teenager again as he grabbed her and yanked her lightly toward him, one hand smoothly finding the loosely tied belt on her robe and pulling it free as his other hand brushed her hair off her cheek. "Someone might walk in-"

"I gave the servants the day off," he whispered before capturing her earlobe between his teeth, causing her eyes to flutter shut as she gasped, murmuring extremely unconvincingly, "But- work- and Bart-"

"Bart is with Lily and Rufus for the day and as for work-" he smiled rakishly before whispering into her ear, "what good is owning a company if you can't take a vacation once in a while?"

"Chuck, I-" she began, but she didn't get any further as he effortlessly lifted her onto the countertop, and neither of them noticed as the plates that had been sitting there crashed to the floor.

**x o x o**

Dan walked uncertainly into the Ritz ballroom, feeling slightly out of place before seeing Serena gesturing elaborately toward the ceiling as a staff member looked at her in what seemed to be total confusion. He walked over quickly and smiled at the man, saying simply, "I'll take it from here," placing an arm firmly around Serena and steering her forcibly away and out of the room.

"Dan! What are you doing here? Where are we going?" she demanded, struggling to pull away as he propelled her toward the elevator.

"I'm here because a little bird told me you might need some help. And we're going away from this place for at least an hour."

"I don't need help. Let me go back. It's a disaster-" she moaned as he pulled her into the elevator and the doors slid shut.

"Serena, it's not a disaster," he said with authority, releasing his hold on her before smiling ruefully. "And it's nice to see you too."

She blinked in surprise before venturing a small smile of her own, stepping out of the elevator as they reached the ground floor. "I'm sorry. Of course it's good to see you. But I just want everything to be perfect for them-"

He smirked, leading the way out of the building. "It's Chuck and Blair. When's the last time that anything hasn't been perfect for them?"

Serena's brow furrowed slightly as he hailed a cab. "Is that sarcasm?" she inquired, truly not knowing as she slid inside and he closed the door behind her.

"Actually-no," he said, sounding slightly surprised before shrugging. "I guess it's good I left New York- I might have started to envy them," he said, making a face that caused her to laugh despite herself before she looked wistfully out the window.

**x o x o**

Blair giggled as she stepped out of the limousine, smiling as Chuck held out his hand and she placed her own inside it. "The Ritz?" she inquired happily, looking delighted as the wind blew through her hair and he gently tugged her toward the doorway, saying simply,

"I hoped you would approve."

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Bass," the concierge greeted smoothly the instant they walked through the door. "Follow me, please. The rooftop terrace is all ready for you."

**x o x o**

Blair looked up at Chuck but he just shrugged, looking as perplexed as she felt as they were led toward a room that was clearly nowhere near the rooftop.

A moment later, though, she understood everything as she was confronted with 100 of her closest friends. For a second she wondered if Chuck was responsible, but one glance at him and it was obvious that he wasn't.

Blair found herself smiling effortlessly as she drifted from one person to another, feeling her hands warmly clasped as people offered their congratulations on five years of marriage. She gracefully grabbed a campaign flute from the neared server as the people who she loved surrounded her, and Chuck's hand remained gently on the small of her back.

Serena smiled, raising her champagne flute as her voice rang out through the room. "To Chuck and Blair, who remind us of how it's supposed to be. May the next 5 years be even better."

Blair smiled sweetly, a happy tear floating gracefully down her cheek, and a camera flashed as Chuck leaned forward and captured her lips with his own.

**x o x o **

_Reviews make my day! Thanks for taking time to read and bear with me._


	3. Chapter 3: Masks

Chapter 3 (Present day)

Chuck felt as though someone was repeatedly kicking him in the stomach as he watched his wife surrender herself to the kiss. To his dismay there was no hesitation as her arm twined its way around the stranger's neck, as he pushed her up against a car before lifting her tiny body onto its hood. Even from his position across the street he heard her surprised gasp as the man shoved her skirt upward slightly in his effort to grope her thigh. For one terrifying moment Chuck really believed they were going to take it further in front of him and he felt himself gag before near-diving back into his limo and barking "Just drive!"

**x o x o**

Despite the fact that she had fully intended for this to happen, Blair felt surprised as John's lips connected with hers. For a moment she adjusted to the sensation, unable to avoid the comparisons that rushed through her head- this kiss was confident, secure, languid in a way Chuck's kisses had never quite been, and though it wasn't _better_, she felt intense relief at the sheer fact that it was _different_.

With little further thought she let her body take over, felt herself press closer to him for just a second before being shoved onto the hood of a car as John groped her naked thigh.

From a distance Blair heard a car door click open and then abruptly slam shut. The noise was enough to pull her slightly out of her alcohol induced haze, and as John's lips traveled to her neck she had the presence of mind to gasp,

"Is this car even yours?"

"No," he replied roguishly, meeting her eye with the barest sliver of a smile, and Blair felt her stomach turn over as his words and expression reminded her of something Chuck might have said, a lifetime ago-

_A year ago._

"I'm sorry," she suddenly heard herself say as though from very far away as she abruptly shoved away from him and slid gracelessly off the car, barely gaining her footing in her Louboutin stilettos as she felt her stomach clench at the thought of what she had almost done. "I just can't."

Without another word she flicked open her phone, snapping, "I need a car NOW." John looked at her for a long moment as though she had lost her mind, but to his amazement a stretch limousine pulled up next to her half a minute later and she tripped nonchalantly inside.

"Who ARE you?" he questioned incredulously, surprised when the question bought a sliver of a smile to her face.

"I'm Blair Waldorf Bass," she replied, lifting her chin almost imperceptibly before continuing, "And as pathetic as this makes me, I want my husband. But that's ok, because what Blair Waldorf Bass wants, she gets."

**x o x o**

Blair nearly tripped over her own two feet, head spinning slightly as she stepped off the elevator and into their penthouse, and despite the fact that until that moment she had been determined to speak to Chuck that instant, she was suddenly grateful that he must be in bed- that she'd have some time to compose herself before needing to see him and beg him to take it all back- beg him to let _her _take it all back-

"Well if it isn't Mrs. Bass," his voice cut through her thoughts from somewhere to her left, and she whirled around in surprise, unable to stop a smile from flying to her face as she took an eager step toward him.

"Have a fun night?" he asked in a voice that could only be described as casually cruel, and her smile died in an instant as any hope that she might have felt at his use of her married name faded. She took another tentative step toward him, unable to stop herself as she struggled to read his face, which was, as had become all too usual lately, devoid of any emotion.

"No," she replied finally, deciding to abandon her pride. "I didn't have a fun night."

For the barest sliver of a second Blair saw confusion flicker across Chuck's face before he shrugged, gulping down what was left in the tumbler he was holding. "No?" he inquired, voice deceptively gentle and Blair felt hope return to her before looking up and realizing that, whatever his voice might sound like, his face had grown colder.

"No," she repeated, voice stronger as she kicked off her shoes, retreating backward, suddenly determined to get out of the room before anything else could be said, certain that anything that was about to be said would not be good. "I- I'm going to bed," she blurted, devoid of any of her carefully cultivated finesse as she began to walk out of the room.

"Going so soon?" he questioned, voice harsh, and Blair gasped as he roughly grabbed her left arm and whipped her around to face him. Despite herself she wavered, for once completely uncertain what to do before raising her chin defiantly and yanking her arm away with all the strength she possessed. "You're drunk," she snapped, a burst of anger snaking through her as she took a step back, planting her hands firmly on her hips.

"Oh, and you're the model of sobriety," he shot back sarcastically, and her eyes flashed before she wordlessly turned away from him, only making it one step before feeling herself yanked back around again as Chuck continued with almost unnatural calm, "And where might you be going? After all, we haven't even gotten a chance to talk."

"Oh _now_ you want to talk?" Blair began in a cross between outrage and disbelief, somewhat alarmed as he smiled sardonically, arching an eyebrow almost cruelly.

"Of course I do, _B_. I want to hear _all about_ your little conquest."

"My… conquest?" Blair repeated blankly, scanning his face, but it remained infuriatingly vacant as he continued to smile.

"Yes. I don't assume you got his name, but I imagine you can remember one or two relevant details. Who was on top, for instance?"

Without thinking about what she was doing, Blair slapped him with all the force she could muster, feeling a brief flash of triumph as the mask disappeared for a fraction of a second and shock took its place.

"Did he like it _feisty_?" Chuck hissed and Blair fought the urge to hit him again before taking a deep breath and forcing herself to remain calm.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said coldly before turning from him again. "Now for the last time, _Charles_, I'm tired, and I'm going to bed."

She didn't make it two steps before she felt the empty tumbler Chuck had been holding whiz past her head, shattering against the wall in front of her. With a cry she whipped back around, abandoning her appearance of calm to shout,

"Have you gone INSANE?" before feeling herself pinned roughly against the wall. She struggled against Chuck's hold for all of five seconds before falling still, unable to hear any sound in the room other than that of their harsh breathing as she hovered somewhere between dread and unexpected arousal. "Let _go _of me," she said, raising her chin with an air of command perfected over years of never having anyone disobey her, but he showed no sign of even having heard her as he trailed his thumb lazily over her collarbone and she fought the urge to close her eyes and sigh in pleasure, even despite everything that had happened, everything that was happening now-

"At least let me know if you enjoyed it," he hissed, voice eerily uncaring, and for the first time in the 14 years she had spent with Chuck, Blair felt a shiver of genuine fear as she met his blank eyes.

"I _didn't_ enjoy anything. I don't know what you're talking about," she replied frantically, meeting his eyes and willing him to believe her. For one instant his grip on her tightened, causing her to flinch, and then to her surprise he stepped back, releasing her. She continued to lean on the wall, not trusting her legs to support her as he looked at her like he might look at a racehorse before shrugging callously.

"Oh, come on, _B_," he said, voice disgusted, and she cringed. Chuck had never called her B, ad that was already twice tonight- "I always knew I married a bitch. Tonight I found out I married a whore. Don't make me think you're a liar too."

Blair opened her mouth to protest her innocence, trying to remind herself of her original plan, a plan that involved groveling if necessary, begging him if necessary, but somehow she heard herself replying bitterly, "What's it _to_ you? Do you honestly think I'm so stupid that I don't know what the words 'working late at the office' mean? Do you not think it _hurts me _that I don't even get to hear you say them yourself, I have to be told by the _servants?_ You've made it clear you don't want me. This little burst of _violence_ is the most you've touched me in a year. So _what_ if I want to have sex? You've made it clear that you don't want to have sex with me, so what's it _to_ you?"

For a long moment she heard only the sound of her own breathing as something flashed across Chuck's face too quickly for her to identify it and he advanced toward her with speed she wouldn't have thought he possessed, pinning her to the wall again, harder this time. "What's it _to_ me?" he repeated disbelievingly before laughing cruelly, his hands biting into her arms.

"LET ME GO," she cried out loudly, pain in her voice even as he continued venomously,

"I changed _my whole life_ for _YOU_. I was faithful _for you._ I built an empire _for you. _And you have the nerve to ask what's it _TO_ me?" He paused, meeting her eyes before continuing darkly, "At one time it would have been _everything_ to me. It would have _destroyed _me. But now-" he shook his head, continuing to meet her eye. "You're right. It's nothing to me., And neither are you."

Blair felt as though all the air had left her body at his words, and despite her pain she was glad he was holding her there as her anger evaporated and she fought the urge to crumple to the floor and cry, even though, if she was being honest, she had expected something like this to happen for at least 6 months now.

"You don't mean that," she said softly, feeling the fight leave her, knowing he could see her eyes filling with tears and hating herself for it, for the third time that night nearly certain that she was going to be sick. "I know things have been- have been really bad, but I- I still love you, Chuck. And I believe you still love me. I don't know what you think happened tonight, but-"

"I think that what happened tonight doesn't matter," he interjected dully, releasing her, and to her amazement Blair remained upright even as she felt her world crumble. "I'm-sorry for this scene, but at least it will be the last. What you did was your business, and I had no right to bring it up after what we said earlier-"

"Chuck, I didn't MEAN what I said earlier," Blair cried, hearing desperation in her voice and not caring as she took a step toward him, grabbing his arm frantically before halting as she saw only pity on his face.

"Well, I did mean it," he said, sounding downright sorry for her. "I _do_ want a divorce, and it will make both our lives easier if you just continue to agree."

"But I- I never really agreed! I thought- I _didn't_ mean-" Blair stuttered before closing her eyes and forcing herself to take a deep breath, willing her legs and voice to stop shaking. "Chuck, I _love_ you."

He met her eyes for an endless moment and she could have sworn she saw something shift inside him before he shook his head pityingly. "Blair, you never loved me, but if you believe that I'm sorry."

He walked out of the corridor without a second glance, not noticing the silent sobs that wracked Blair's tiny frame as she sank to the marble floor.

**x o x o**

_Thank you all so much for the reviews this story has gotten so far. It gives me a giant jolt of joy and motivation __ Also I'm not going to make you wait much longer for what happened- some people commented that they figured that was the point of the story, and while it's part of it, the bigger point, I hope, is going to be how Chair get back together. I'm thinking scheming. Lots of scheming ;)_


	4. Chapter 4: Condolences

_Unfortunately this is going to be two really hard to read chapters in a row. Chapter 5 is already partly written and much MUCH lighter. Also, just to say again- this is going to end happy. I anticipate it being maybe 20 chapters tops, about 12-14 chapters in the 'present' and 6-8 flashbacks. I think I'll be posting daily or every other day for the foreseeable future __ Thanks so much for reading and for all the great feedback._

Chapter 4

_1 year, 3 months prior_

Blair forced herself not to look at anything at all, her gaze fixed straight ahead, careful to see nothing. To absorb nothing. She could feel Chuck's body beside her, close enough to touch, close enough that sometimes their hands would brush accidentally before he would flinch away, staring straight ahead, not acknowledging her. Not acknowledging anything.

On her right was Dan, though she couldn't figure out quite how he had gotten there. She probably wouldn't have noticed except for the fact that his arm was thrown around her waist with unparalleled awkwardness, so ineptly that she wanted to scream at him to stop it before remembering that she couldn't, since she was pretty sure it was him who was holding her up.

Her face was carefully schooled, though, into a mask of icy perfection as she managed a small, sad smile for everyone that stopped to talk to her, offering their _condolences_ as though they had any conception of what the word meant. As though she would have had any conception of what it meant a week ago. Without realizing what she was doing she dug her fingernails into Dan's arm, wishing it could all be over. Wishing it could all be a dream.

**x o x o**

Blair looked into the mortuary mirror dully, objectively, wondering if it might be a good idea to add another coat of lipstick before nearly groaning at the sight of Serena in the mirror behind her.

"So, S," she chirped, forcing a smile onto her face. "What's up with you and Humphrey? I thought you two were, like, doing the brother sister thing, but now he won't leave New York-"

"B, how are you feeling?" Serena cut her off, not bothering to acknowledge the question. "Are you holding up ok? Can I get you-"

"No, S," Blair snapped, whirling around and feeling her cool veneer cracking as she let herself come apart, "I am not _holding up okay._ My child is _dead_. Chuck won't talk to me, Chuck won't touch me, Chuck won't look at me. Chuck won't even come home. I almost _laughed_ when he showed up this morning, because I was that surprised to see him and I didn't know what else to do."

Blair flinched, remembering the awkward scene- her staring at Chuck as he refused to meet her eye; her attempt to take his arm before he jumped away as though she'd burned him-

"Blair," Serena said softly, interrupting Blair's thoughts as she took a hesitant step toward her friend, "I don't know what I'm supposed to say right now, but the truth is it's obvious that Chuck is… _devastated._"

"Oh and I'm not?" Blair cried out in agony, a tear drifting down her cheek as her tiny frame shook with the effort of not collapsing.

"Of course you are-" Serena blurted awkwardly, taking another halting step forward. "I- I didn't mean that. I can't even imagine, I don't have a child-"

"No," Blair cut her off harshly, turning away, and rolling her eyes when she was confronted with Serena's reflection in the mirror. "You don't."

"Blair- B," Serena said softly, gently, reaching out a hand to clasp Blair's own, "You know that you're stronger than Chuck. You've always been stronger than Chuck. This is what he does, even if he hasn't done it for a long time- he runs away and he tries not to feel, and it doesn't work. I know- how hard this must be for you. But you have to be the stronger one."

Blair rolled her eyes again, yanking her hand away. "S, I don't think you're _getting it._ I don't even know where he _is,_ and anyway I can't help him. I can't even help myself." She paused for a moment, biting her lower lip, lost in different memories for a moment before blurting, "And I- I said horrible things to him, S-"

"He'll forgive you," Serena said quietly, cutting her off. "After all, haven't you forgiven him?"

"It's not the same," Blair said miserably, wringing her hands together. "The things he said to me were true. I- I just lashed out at him, I couldn't help it-"

"He knows you couldn't," Serena said with the same quiet confidence, squeezing her hand again. "You two know each other better than anyone. You don't have to worry about forgiving each other. You just need to worry about forgiving yourselves."

**x o x o**

Blair felt like a different person as she stepped into the penthouse, throwing her coat carelessly to the floor and marching toward her and Chuck's bedroom, feeling a sense of purpose for the first time in a week.

A flicker of movement caught her eye as she passed by the living room and she stopped, calling out hesitantly, "Dorota? Sonya? It's late, you can go-"

Silence answered her and she shrugged after a moment, continuing toward her room before a voice called out, almost too softly for her to hear, "Blair," more of a statement than a question.

Despite her newfound purpose she felt doubt as she heard the voice, freezing in place for a long moment before moving with excruciating slowness into the living room, hesitating in the doorway as she watched her husband pour himself a drink.

"Chuck, you're here," she said, wanting to smack head against the wall the second the all-too obvious words were out of her mouth. She braced herself for some scathing retort, or alternately for no response at all, a continuation of the maddening silence of the afternoon, but to her surprise he nodded, looking oddly resigned as he drowned the drink in one gulp.

"I'm here," he confirmed dully, a sardonic smile on his face as he started to pour himself another, and without even realizing what she was doing she heard herself crying, "Chuck, please don't."

He looked at her with surprise, and then, to her amazement, he nodded just once before putting the decanter down and almost falling onto the couch, burying his head in his hands.

Blair hovered awkwardly in the doorway, feeling too nervous to say or do anything, one half of her wanting nothing more than to go to him, the other half unsure as to whether she was even welcome, and even before the words were out of her mouth she wanted to bang her head against the wall again at how insignificant and petty they sounded, almost jealous- "Where have you been? I tried to call you- I tried to find you-"

"I didn't want to be found," he replied, not lifting his head and she ventured a few steps into the room, hating how uncertain she felt, like she was one wrong step from him leaving again. Hating how she had no idea what to say.

"I understand," she replied, surprised at how easily the words came off her lips despite her uncertainty, how much she meant them. Something in her tone caused him to look up at her and for the first time she could tell he'd been crying. She felt her heart and stomach both turn over painfully as she fought the urge to dive onto the couch beside him as she forced herself to remain calm. "But I- I needed to find you Chuck. I need you."

To her surprise he recoiled as though she had slapped him, raking his hands through his hair before looking over at the decanter again. Blair felt a small flash of hopeless desperation, wondering what she had said that was wrong before abandoning thought and uncertainty, sliding to the floor in one graceful movement and placing her hands on his knees in something resembling supplication.

"Chuck," she whispered brokenly, "I've spent the last week hearing from everyone how strong I am." She paused, trying to gather her thoughts before admitting flatly, her voice cracking, "I'm not strong. I'm just a person. I can't get through this alone." She paused again, tightening her grip on him slightly before continuing, "I need you to help me. I _need_ you to be strong too. And then, maybe, if we can be strong together- if we can _talk_ to each other Chuck-"

He met her eyes but he seemed to be looking past her as he said vacantly, "Blair, you don't have to say this. Even if you could forgive me-"

To her horror Blair felt a tear drift down her cheek as she shook her head, reaching a tentative hand to touch his arm and encouraged when, though he didn't lean into the touch, he didn't back away. "Chuck- there's nothing to forgive. It wasn't your fault. I was- _beside_ myself, Chuck. I didn't mean what I said. I could never have thought this was your fault. If anything, I thought it was mine- I kept feeling like if I had only been here- and I just couldn't believe Bart was gone. I just couldn't believe it could happen to _me._"

There was silence for an excruciating moment, and then to her amazement he was gently cupping her cheek with his hand, wiping her tear away with his thumb as she allowed her eyes to flutter shut. "I didn't mean what I said to you either," he said hoarsely before admitting, "I wanted to die. I've spent this past week wanting to die."

"Well you can't die," Blair snapped despite wanting to be gentle, unsure as to whether she was getting through to him or not as she reached out a slender arm, taking his hand in her own and holding her breath as he didn't pull away before she said, voice breaking again. "I need you to be here Chuck. I need my husband. I _need_ my best friend. Our son is gone. I can't lose you too."

And then without really knowing how it had happened Blair felt herself pulled into his arms, felt him sobbing into her shoulder as she whispered into his ear.

**x o x o**

_Feedback means the world._


	5. Chapter 5: Game On

Chapter 5

_Present Day_

Blair's eyes widened in surprise as she walked into the dining room and saw the servants clearing a plate away.

"Where's Charles?" she inquired, hoping she sounded like she didn't care and knowing she had failed as the two women both looked at her in a cross between concern and pity.

"He left for work," one offered tentatively, eyes downcast, and Blair heard a disbelieving laugh for several seconds before realizing it was her own.

"Thank you," she forced herself to reply, willing herself to get a grip as she grabbed an orange. "Did he seem- alright?" she questioned carefully after a long moment, hating how, with servants, you could never be sure exactly how much they knew- much less where their loyalties lay-

"It was- hard to tell?" the other said slowly. "He was… quiet."

_More like hungover,_ Blair thought bitterly as her mind drifted to what could have possibly possessed him to leave the house before 6 am-

The clock struck 6:30 and Blair sighed before standing, ignoring the rest of the food on her plate as she straightened her shoulders, preparing to face the day.

x o x o

Chuck glanced around his new office with some dissatisfaction, noting that it was somewhat smaller than his old one before remembering that his old one was 10 feet away from Blair and deciding that it was a small price to pay. He heard a knock on the open door and plastered what he hoped would pass as a pleasant expression on his face before turning to greet whoever it was. He was unable to mask a grimace as one glance revealed his wife's petite frame. For a moment he looked her over, noting the hands on her hips, the way her mouth was drawn into a thin, disapproving line. Despite himself his first instinct was to dislodge her hair from its tightly wound French twist before kissing her until her lips were full and puffy and looked anything but severe-

"What are you doing here?" he asked shortly, finding to his surprise that he had no difficulty keeping his tone flippant, and for the first time in a long while he was grateful that life had taught him to conceal his emotions.

"Unlike some people, I'm here every morning," she chirped brightly, eyes flashing in a way he hadn't seen them do in a long time, and he smothered a smirk he didn't understand before shrugging and saying blandly, "Touché. But surely someone of your _intelligence_ understood what I meant."

She scrutinized him for a long moment, and he found himself wondering what she was thinking, trying not to remember a time when he would have _known-_

"So this is how it's going to be, then?" she demanded after a pause, assessing him in a way that made him uncomfortable though he couldn't quite pinpoint why.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied, keeping his face carefully blank as he randomly shuffled some papers around on his desk. "Now do you need something or not? I'm busy."

She arched one eyebrow, and he suddenly had the uncomfortable feeling that she could see right through him as she replied dryly, smirking, "I'm sure."

The words hung there for an endless minute as she continued to scrutinize him, and he shifted uncomfortably before she took a step toward him, letting her arms drop to her sides, and she suddenly looked much younger, much less sure.

"Are we really not going to talk about this?" she questioned with what had become uncharacteristic forthrightness, taking a step toward him.

He wiped all emotion from his face with difficulty before replying tonelessly, "There's nothing to talk about."

"Really?" she asked, eyes flashing again in that way that he used to find so attractive- in the way he still did, objectively speaking- "I think we have quite a lot to talk about."

"Such as?" he questioned, trying to sound bored even as she asked the question he had been dreading.

"Did you mean what you said last night?" she blurted, surprising him for the second time with her simultaneous audacity and simplicity.

Despite his intentions he found himself analyzing the question, wondering which thing specifically she was referring to, and which time. For one crazy instant he considered telling her the truth- that when he'd told her he wanted a divorce the first time, he's childishly wanted to provoke a reaction, preferably her throwing herself into his arms, even though she'd made it abundantly clear for months that his arms were the last place that she wanted to be. Of course, he _had _provoked a reaction-

And at the thought of Blair's skirt being shoved upwards on the hood of a car, right in front of him, Chuck felt his fist clench before he replied shortly,

"Yes. I meant it."

To his surprise she didn't bother to hide her reaction, recoiling as though he had slapped her, and he mentally congratulated her on her acting skills when this was clearly what she had wanted all along- her freedom-

"All of it?" she questioned in a small voice, and he felt himself nodding mechanically, wishing she'd had the sense to do this over the phone like a sensible Upper-East-Sider-

"All of it. So you see- there's nothing to talk about."

"Oh, I think there's something to talk about," she snapped, slamming his office door shut in the greatest display of passion he had seen from her in months, and to his surprise he liked it as she stormed toward his desk, as fearless as he had ever seen her. For a second he wondered what she intended to do, and despite himself he felt nothing more than disappointment as she simply stared at him for a long moment before sinking languidly into the seat across from him and crossing one shapely leg over the other. Despite himself he couldn't help but stare at the 2 inches of exposed thigh that her new position revealed, but then she began to speak, voice dripping with honey.

"One of us will need to leave the penthouse as soon as possible, of course. Clearly there was no prenup, but I don't think that, in our situation, that should be much of a problem. We're fortunate in that a 50/50 split of the assets is genuinely fair."

Chuck felt his mouth drop open, and then shut in surprise. Somehow, naively, he had expected more of a fight from her- and instead all he was getting was a calm recitation of the necessary steps to take to expedite the process.

"-problem is the company," he heard her say, and he blinked, wondering what he had missed and whether it was important as she continued, voice almost sickeningly sweet and perky, in a way it only ever was when she was up to no good- "I just keep thinking about what you said to me last night, about building an empire for me. And the thing is, Chuck- that's not really true, is it? You didn't build this _for _me. You built it _with_ me."

He felt his brow furrow as he tried to work out what she could possibly mean by that, before he shrugged, saying blandly, "I don't understand."

"Of course not," she shot back, looking and him with pity as she continued, "I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that while you were 'changing your life' for me, I was _building_ mine around you and Bass Industries. And I don't suppose it ever occurred to you that the majority of the successful ventures we've had over the past five years have been the direct result of _my_ efforts-"

"It hasn't escaped anyone's notice," he cut her off, deciding that she must be worried about job security, though why she needed it was anyone's guess. "You're an executive officer. You own as much of the company as me. That isn't going to change. Is that what you want me to say?"

"Actually," she smiled sweetly as she rose quickly, gracefully, "What I _want_ is the controlling share of the company."

For the second time he felt his mouth drop open, but she didn't even give him time to process the words before shooting a pleasant smile in his direction and gracing him with the barest sliver of a wink. "And I think you'll find," she concluded, looking at him over her shoulder as she glided out of his office, "that this is one thing I'm going to get."

He jumped to his feet, but she was already gone.

x o x o

"B, this isn't right," Serena near-moaned into her cell phone.

"S, nothing has ever been more right!" Blair exclaimed as her friend sighed.

"Blair, this isn't what you want. You don't care about his company. You only even agreed to take a share as large as Chuck's so something like this _couldn't happen. _You wanted to make sure _he_ would always have control of the company. Am I the only one around here who has any memory of the past 10 years? Because I need to tell you, it's kind of scary feeling like I'm the voice of reason."

"Maybe it isn't what I want," Blair admitted with a shrug, folding a slip carelessly before throwing it into an oversized suitcase without a second look, "but it's the next best thing. And anyway, S, I have a plan."

Blair began to fold another slip as she heard the sound of an incoming call and pulled the phone from her ear, looking down to see Chuck's name prominently in the display screen. "And what do you know, it's working already," she chirped brightly, vaguely hearing Serena moaning something about how she 'shouldn't' before connecting to her soon-to-be-ex husband.

"Hello darling. Forget to tell me something earlier?" she near-cooed, gliding from her room into the hallway and hesitating outside the room Chuck had appropriated as his own, wondering if it was ok for her to go in even though the majority of her eveningwear was located inside.

"Not at all. I just thought it might be wise to lay out some rules," his voice came through the phone, as careless and smooth as her own, and despite the absurdity of the situation she felt a small smile come to her lips.

"No good Chuck. The rules are there are no rules. Now if that's all-"

"Not so fast," he interjected smoothly, and Blair shivered without knowing why before arching an eyebrow.

"I'm listening," she said, grateful he couldn't see the half smile on her face as he said quickly,

"No libel, no slander, no blackmail."

"Of each other or of others?" she shot back, pleased when he hesitated before letting out a half-chuckle.

"Ah Blair, always thinking."

"Ah Chuck, never thinking enough," she retorted quickly.

"Of each other," he said, not acknowledging her more recent statement and she nodded once though he couldn't see her.

"Done," she replied, feeling suddenly emboldened as she took a step forward, entering the room Chuck had taken as his own, bracing herself to be confronted with bottles of alcohol and strange lingerie.

"Game on," he said, and crazy as it was she could almost swear he was smiling.

"Game on," she parroted back, the words slowly sinking in as she hung up the phone and looked around Chuck's room blankly, glad she had gotten out the words before seeing what the room looked like.

"What the hell Chuck?" she whispered despite the fact that no one was there to hear her as she tried without success to yank her gaze from the bedside table, which was filled with pictures of her.

x o x o

_Thanks for the fabulous reviews and for sticking with me everyone __I think the story is about to get more 'fun'… feedback is so treasured!_


	6. Chapter 6: Enemies Closer

Chapter Six

Present Day

Blair heard the sound of the elevator door opening and dropped onto the couch in one fluid motion, tucking her legs underneath her before taking a sip of red wine, perfectly timed so that her eyes met Chuck's over the rim of the glass for the barest fraction of a second as he entered the living room. He arched an eyebrow before strolling over to the decanters as though she didn't exist and pouring himself a glass of whisky.

Taking advantage of the fact that his back was turned she stood, tossing her hair aside in one quick, calculated movement and leaving her collarbone exposed just as he turned back to look at her. She graced him with a sliver of a smirk before taking another sip of wine.

"Good day at the office?" she chirped as the silence dragged on and she reached past him to set her glass on the table, pleased when he stiffened slightly at her movement.

"I can't lie, Blair," he said after a moment, sidestepping both her and her question as he moved toward the doorway. "I'm surprised to see you here."

"Hmmm?" she murmured, her tone dripping honey as she positioned herself between him and the doorway, tilting her head to the side and running her finger across her collarbone once for good measure, pleased when he gulped before biting out,

"You mentioned earlier that one of us would need to leave the apartment. It can't come as any real surprise to you that I thought you meant yourself."

Blair threw her lead back and forced herself to giggle, hoping the sound was authentic, especially since she'd been determined to leave just an hour before. "And why would you think that, Chuck? This is my home."

To her chagrin he smiled, actually looked amused. "This isn't anyone's _home_, Blair, and it hasn't been in quite some time. And I would think that because it's impossible that you would expect me to leave without a fight."

"I'm way ahead of you," Blair said casually, shrugging before stepping around him and out of the room, carefully tossing her hair once more in just such a way that she knew he had a great view of her back. "You've never been opposed to raising the stakes, so I say whoever gets the company gets the penthouse. Until then..." she paused and smirked, looking at him over her shoulder, "I've always thought it was best to keep my friends close and my enemies closer."

X o x o

Blair carefully shut the door of her room behind her before pulling out her cell phone and taking a deep breath, near-grimacing as she pressed a name on her speed dial that she had never touched before.

The phone only rang once before it was picked up on the other end and she was treated to the bemused, cocky voice of the person she hated most.

"Well if it isn't my favorite niece," Jack Bass said smoothly and Blair cringed before forcing herself to say pleasantly,

"And if it isn't my only uncle," before she perched uneasily on the bed, grateful that he couldn't see her unease as she chirped, "You told me once that if I ever had a proposition for you I should let you know. You still interested?"

"I'm always interested in Blair Waldorff," Jack said, his voice surprisingly sincere, and Blair allowed herself a moment of confusion before lowering her voice, whispering what she wanted him to do.

X o x o

_Sorry for the short one and for taking so long to update! I found myself without internet access for about a week __ Updates should be daily or every other day from now on again. Hope you enjoy- again I know its short but it was either that or suuuuper long… I though it was best to break it up here._


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